Description:
Following the end of the Cold War, the mission of Rocky Flats Environmental Technology Site changed from production of nuclear weapons to cleanup. Authorization baseis documents for the facilities, primarily the Final Safety Analysis Reports, are being replaced with new ones in which accident scenarios are sorted into coarse bins of consequence and frequency, similar to the approach of DOE-STD-3011-94. Because this binning does not require high precision, a standardized approach for radiological dose evaluations is taken for all the facilities at the site. This is done through a standard calculation ``template`` for use by all safety analysts preparing the new documents. This report describes this template and its use.

Description:
Three groundwater plumes contaminated with volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and radionuclides at the Rocky Flats Environmental Technology Site are scheduled for remediation by 1999 based on the Rocky Flats Cleanup Agreement (RFCA) (DOE, 1996). These three plumes are among the top 20 environmental cleanup sites at Rocky Flats. One of these plumes, the Mound Site Plume, is derived from a previous drum storage area, and daylights as seeps near the South Walnut Creek drainage. Final design for remediation of the Mound Site Plume has been completed based on use of reactive metals to treat the contaminated groundwater, and construction is scheduled for early 1998. The two other plumes, the 903 Pad/Ryan`s Pit and the East Trenches Plumes, are derived from VOCs either from drums that leaked or that were disposed of in trenches. These two plumes are undergoing characterization and conceptual design in 1998 and construction is scheduled in 1999. The contaminants of concern in these plumes are tetrachloroethene, trichloroethene, carbon tetrachloride and low levels of uranium and americium.

Description:
The US Department of Energy (DOE), its contractors, and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) are in for major changes if the DOE follows through on its intentions announced December 20, 1996. The DOE is seeking legislation to establish the NRC as the regulatory agency with jurisdiction over nuclear health, safety, and security at a wide range of DOE facilities. At this stage, it appears that as many as 200 (though not all) DOE facilities would be affected. On March 28, 1997, the NRC officially endorsed taking over the responsibility for regulatory oversight of DOE nuclear facilities as the DOE had proposed, contingent upon adequate funding, staffing resources, and a clear delineation of NRC authority. This article first contrasts the ways in which the NRC and the DOE carry out their basic regulatory functions. Next, it describes the NRC`s current authority over DOE facilities and the status of the DOE`s initiative to expand that authority. Then, it discusses the basic changes and impacts that can be expected in the regulation of DOE facilities. The article next describes key lessons learned from the recent transition of the GDPs from DOE oversight to NRC regulation and the major regulatory issues that arose in that transition. Finally, some general strategies are suggested for resolving issues likely to arise as the NRC assumes regulatory authority over DOE facilities.

Description:
The accelerated action to remove the depleted uranium chips and associated soils and wastes from Trench 1 at the Rocky Flats Environmental Technology Site (RFETS) will begin in June 1998. To ensure that the remedial action is conducted safely, a rigorous and disciplined planning process was followed that incorporates the principles of Integrated Safety Management and Enhanced Work Planning. Critical to the success of the planning was early involvement of project staff (salaried and hourly) and associated technical support groups and disciplines. Feedback was and will continue to be solicited, and lessons learned incorporated to ensure the safe remediation of this site.

Description:
Monitored natural attenuation was selected as an interim measure for a carbon tetrachloride spill site where source removal or in situ treatment cannot currently be implemented due to the surrounding infrastructure. Rather than delay action until the site is more accessible to an interim action, this more expedited approach would support a final action. Individual Hazard Substance Site (IHSS) 118.1 is a former underground storage tank at Rocky Flats Environmental Technology Site (RFETS) that stored carbon tetrachloride for process use. Inadvertent releases associated with filling and failure of the tank system resulted in an accumulation of carbon tetrachloride in a bedrock depression around a group of former process waste tanks. Access to the source of contamination is obstructed by numerous utilities, the process waste tanks, and other components of the site infrastructure that limit the ability to conduct an effective remedial action. A preremedial field investigation was conducted in September 1997 to identify and delineate the extent of the dense nonaqueous phase liquid (DNAPL) in the subsurface. Data collected from the investigation revealed that natural processes might be limiting the migration of contaminants from the source area.

Description:
A key goal of the Rocky Flats Cleanup Agreement (RFCA) signed in July of 1996 was to provide a seamless marriage of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) (and other media specific programs) and the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA) and the implementing agencies of each. This paper examines the two years since the signing of RFCA and identifies the successes, failures, and stresses of the marriage. RFCA has provided an excellent vehicle for regulatory and substantive progress at the Department of Energy`s Rocky Flats facility. The key for a fully successful marriage is to build on the accomplishments to date and to continually improve the internal and external systems and relationships. To date, the parties can be proud of both the substantial accomplishment of substantive environmental work and the regulatory systems that have enabled the work.

Description:
The Trench 1 remediation project will be conducted this year to retrieve depleted uranium and other associated materials from a trench at Rocky Flats Environmental Technology Site. The excavated materials will be segregated and stabilized for shipment. The depleted uranium will be treated at an offsite facility which utilizes a novel approach for waste minimization and disposal through utilization of a combination of uranium recycling and volume efficient uranium stabilization.

Description:
This is a technique for measuring gross alpha particle emission from interior contaminated surfaces. The technique utilizes electret ionization chambers (EICs), which consist of a charged Teflon plate (the electret) and an electrically-conductive plastic chamber of 145 ml volume. To measure very low levels of alpha contamination, the EIC is left in place on the surface to be measured for about 48 hours. The change in the surface charge of the electret is a measure of the ionization during the measurement period. The rate of change of the charge is converted into an activity using an appropriate calibration factor. This system has the ability to make accurate gross alpha contamination measurements while being subject to a high airborne radon concentration, such as might occur in certain buildings or during an atmospheric inversion. Previous studies of the effectiveness of these EIC`s focused on levels of alpha contamination much higher than is allowed for unrestricted release of material at the Rocky Flats Environmental Technology Site (RFETS). This study evaluated the performance of EIC`s at levels from 100 disintegrations per minute (dpm) per 100 cm{sup 2} to below 20 dpm per 100 cm{sup 2} (all measurements are referenced to a 4{pi} geometry). The EIC`s were found to be within 5% accuracy, as compared to a gas flow proportional counter calibrated with a NIST-traceable source. Test results indicate that the EIC, left in place for 48 hours, can detect alpha contamination as low as 6.4 {+-} 3.0 dpm/100 cm{sup 2} to a 95% confidence level.

Description:
The Department of Energy (DOE) has prepared an environmental assessment (EA) (DOE/EA-1292) to evaluate the proposed treatment of low level mixed waste (LLMW) at the Rocky Flats Environmental Technology Site (Site). The purpose of the action is to treat LLMW in order to meet the Land Disposal Restrictions specified by the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act and the waste acceptance criteria of the planned disposal site(s). Approximately 17,000 cubic meters (m{sup 3}) of LLMW are currently stored at the Site. Another 65,000 m{sup 3}of LLMW are likely to be generated by Site closure activities (a total of 82,000 m{sup 3} of LLMW). About 35,000 m{sup 3} can be directly disposed of off-site without treatment, and most of the remaining 47,000 m{sup 3} of LLMW can be treated at off-site treatment, storage, and disposal facilities. However, some LLMW will require treatment on-site, either because it does not meet shipping requirements or because off-site treatment is not available for these particular types of LLMW. Currently, this LLMW is stored at the Site pending the development and implementation of effective treatment processes. The Site needs to treat this LLMW on-site prior to shipment to off-site disposal facilities, in order to meet the DOE long-term objective of clean up and closure of the Site. All on-site treatment of LLMW would comply with applicable Federal and State laws designed to protect public health and safety and to enhance protection of the environment. The EA describes and analyzes the environmental effects of the proposed action (using ten mobile treatment processes to treat waste on-site), and the alternatives of treating waste onsite (using two fixed treatment processes), and of taking no action. The EA was the subject of a public comment period from February 3 to 24, 1999. No written or other comments regarding the EA were ...

Description:
An apparatus and process for producing a homogeneous analytical sample from a heterogeneous feedstock by: providing the mixed feedstock, reducing the temperature of the feedstock to a temperature below a critical temperature, reducing the size of the feedstock components, blending the reduced size feedstock to form a homogeneous mixture; and obtaining a representative sample of the homogeneous mixture. The size reduction and blending steps are performed at temperatures below the critical temperature in order to retain organic compounds in the form of solvents, oils, or liquids that may be adsorbed onto or absorbed into the solid components of the mixture, while also improving the efficiency of the size reduction. Preferably, the critical temperature is less than 77K (-196 C). Further, with the process of this invention the representative sample maybe maintained below the critical temperature until being analyzed.

Description:
The focus of this paper is to develop a conceptual model and a hydrogeologic analysis plan for remedial alternatives being considered for the remediation of a ground water contaminant plume consisting of chiefly nitrate and uranium. The initial step in this process was to determine the adequacy of the existing data from the vast database of site information. Upon concluding that the existing database was sufficient to allow for the development of a conceptual model and then constructing the conceptual model, a hydrogeologic analysis plan was developed to evaluate several alternatives for plume remediation. The plan will be implemented using a combination of analytical and simple numerical ground water flow and contaminant transport models. This allows each portion of the study to be addressed using the appropriate tool, without having to develop a large three-dimensional numerical ground water flow and transport model, thereby reducing project costs. The analysis plan will consist of a preliminary phase of screening analyses for each of the remedial alternative scenarios, and a second phase of more comprehensive and in-depth analyses on a selected subset of remedial alternative scenarios. One of the alternatives which will be analyzed is phytoremediation (remediation of soil and ground water via uptake of chemicals by plants) because of the potential for relatively low capital and operation and maintenance costs, passive nature, and potential to provide long-term protection of the surface water. The results of these hydrogeological analyses will be factored into the selection of the preferred remedial alternative, or combination of alternatives, for the contaminant plume.

Description:
Rocky Flats Environmental Technology Site (the Site) has approximately 10,000 High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) Filters installed in a variety of filter plenums. These ventilation/filtration plenum systems are used to control the release of airborne particulate contaminates to the environment during normal operations and also during potential design-based accidents. The operational integrity of the HEPA filter plenums is essential to maintaining the margins of safety as required by building specific Final Safety Analysis Reports (FSARS) for protection of the public and environment. An Unreviewed Safety Question Determination (USQD), USDQ-RFP94.0615-ARS, was conducted in 1994 addressing the potential inadequacy of the safety envelope for Protected Area building HEPA plenums. While conducting this USQD, questions were raised concerning the maximum service life criteria for HEPA filters. Accident scenarios in existing FSARs identify conditions that could potentially cause plugging or damage of down stream HEPA filters as a result of impaction from failed filters. Additionally, available data indicates that HEPA filters experience structural degradation due to the effects of age. The Unresolved Safety Question (USQ) compensatory measures thus require testing and analysis of used HEPA filters in order to determine and implement service life criteria.

Description:
This paper describes the process used to select a remedial alternative for handling contaminated groundwater emanating from the Solar Evaporation Ponds (Solar Ponds) at the Rocky Flats Environmental Technology Site (RFETS) and prevent it from reaching the nearest surface water body, North Walnut Creek. Preliminary results of field investigations conducted to provide additional information for the alternatives analysis are also presented. The contaminated groundwater is referred to as the Solar Ponds Plume (SPP). The primary contaminants in the SPP are nitrate and uranium; however, some metals exceed the site action levels at several locations and volatile organic compounds, originating from other sources, also have been detected. Currently the SPP, local surface water runoff, and infiltrated precipitation are collected by a trench system located downgradient of the Solar Ponds and pumped to three storage tanks. The water (two to three million gallons annually) is then pumped to an on-site treatment plant for evaporation at an approximate cost of $7.57 per liter.

Description:
A two stage, low temperature, catalyzed fluidized bed incineration process is proving successful at incinerating hazardous wastes containing nuclear material. The process operates at 550{degrees}C and 650{degrees}C in its two stages. Acid gas neutralization takes place in situ using sodium carbonate as a sorbent in the first stage bed. The feed material to the incinerator is hazardous waste-as defined by the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act-mixed with radioactive materials. The radioactive materials are plutonium, uranium, and americium that are byproducts of nuclear weapons production. Despite its low temperature operation, this system successfully destroyed poly-chlorinated biphenyls at a 99.99992% destruction and removal efficiency. Radionuclides and volatile heavy metals leave the fluidized beds and enter the air pollution control system in minimal amounts. Recently collected modeling and experimental data show the process minimizes dioxin and furan production. The report also discusses air pollution, ash solidification, and other data collected from pilot- and demonstration-scale testing. The testing took place at Rocky Flats Environmental Technology Site, a US Department of Energy facility, in the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s.

Description:
The meteorology program at Rocky Flats Environmental Technology Site (Site) has experienced significant changes the past 18 months. The purposes of the meteorology program at the Site are to (1) support Emergency Preparedness programs for assessing the transport, dispersion, and deposition of effluents actually or potentially released into the atmosphere by Site operations; and (2) provide information for onsite and offsite projects concerned with the design of environmental monitoring networks for impact assessments, environmental surveillance operations, health and safety related activities, and remediation operations. The meteorology program includes ambient monitoring, weather forecasting, climatological analyses, air dispersion modeling, and Emergency Preparedness organizational support.

Description:
Wastes at Rocky Flats Environmental Technology Site will be consolidated into buildings being vacated and/or into newly constructed buildings. The exact mix of waste types may not be known a priori; it will likely change over time. Building operations personnel need a method to dynamically evaluate the hazard of any proposed mix of wastes type, that is, determine a measure of the hazard without having to request a new hazard evaluation from the Safety Analysis department each time the waste mix is to be changed. This report presents such a method; the method is based on the use of a spreadsheet developed for this purpose. The spreadsheet is duser-friendly, robust, and protected so that theuser can modify only certain cells.

Description:
In the late 1980`s development was begun on a process using microwave energy to vitrify low level mixed waste sludge and transuranic mixed waste sludge generated in Building 374 at Rocky Flats. This process was shown to produce a dense, highly durable waste form. With the cessation of weapons production at Rocky Flats, the emphasis has changed from treatment of low level and TRU wastes to stabilizaiton of plutonium oxide and residues. This equipment is versatile and can be used as a heat source to calcine, react or vitrify many types of residues and oxides. It has natural economies in that it heats only the material to be treated, significantly reducing cycle times over conventional furnaces. It is inexpensive to operate in that most of the working components remain outside of any necessary contamination enclosure and therefore can easily be maintained. Limited testing has been successfully performed on cerium oxide (as a surrogate for plutonium oxide), surrogate electrorefining salts, surrogate residue sludge and residue ash. Future plans also include tests on ion exchange resins. In an attempt to further the usefullness of this technology, a mobile, self-contained microwave melting system is currently under development and expected to be operational at Rocky Flats Enviromental Technology Site by the 4th quarter of FY96.

Description:
The Chamber Gram Estimator (CGE), Model SAM-1B is a small article gamma monitor originally designed to screen items for radioactive contamination that may be placed into its chamber. Four plastic scintillator detectors detect photons emitted from bulk quantities of fissile materials in line generated waste and provide a fissile mass content estimate of waste packages. With the present CGE, a few grams of {sup 239}Pu could be distinguished above background in light matrix samples. It is controlled by a personal computer that uses a menu driven operating program. The program is designed to reduce the potential for operator error while obtaining a fissile material gram estimate of a line generated waste package prior to placement in a drum. This report describes the work performed to characterize the counting chamber for fissile material estimation. The operating features of the CGE, the results and conclusions drawn from the experiments, and the future work recommended for the next generation CGEs are also described. The CGE provides advantages over hand-held Ludlum 12-12 survey-type instruments presently in use. The CGE is easy to operate, does not require manual manipulation to measure the total surf ace of the sample, and provides a display free of rate meter response-time effects or the need for visual averaging. Moreover, the response variations due to sample geometry are significantly less than with a hand-held arrangement, particularly, for the low density matrix samples appropriate for estimation. The waste packages are placed inside the instrument`s shielded chamber which effectively eliminates gamma exposure to operators from waste packages.

Description:
The Department of Energy (DOE) has prepared an environmental assessment (EA) (DOE/EA-1262) to extend the McKay Bypass Canal on the east side of the Rocky Flats Environmental Technology Site (Site), located north of Golden, Colorado. The McKay Bypass Canal Extension (Extension) is needed to route water from the existing canal around the Walnut Creek drainage, thus preventing potential co-mingling of Broomfield city water (collected from the Coal Creek drainage) with Site runoff water. The EA describes and analyzes the environmental effects of the Proposed Action (using a buried pipeline for the extension), and the alternatives of taking no action, using an open ditch for the extension, and using an aboveground pipeline for the extension. The EA was the subject of a public comment period from July 22 to August 6, 1998. Written comments regarding the EA were received from the City of Broomfield and the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.

Description:
At about 1100 on July 2, 1980, a temperature rise above normal was recorded on charts monitoring operation of the incinerator in Room 149, Building 771. The plenum overheat alarm sounded at 1215, emergency actions initiated, and the fire was extinguished and mop-up began at about 1300. Investigation determined that the fire in the plenum was caused by a heat rise in the system, a deteriorated bypass valve on the No. 3 heat exchanger (KOH scrubber), nitration of the urethane seal on the HEPA filter media to the filter frame, and accumulation of metallic fines on the filter media. It was concluded that the management system responded properly, except for the ring- down system to activate the Emergency Operations Center.

Description:
At the Rocky Flats Environmental Technology Site (RFETS), the D&amp;D task is enormous. Tons of plutonium has been processed over the years in approximately 1,000 gloveboxes, This represents nearly half of the gloveboxes in the DOE complex. In addition, more than a thousand tanks of various designs, with miles of associated piping, supported the processes. A wide variety of operations were performed at RFETS, including aqueous processing, pyrophoric processing, hydriding and dehydriding, metal casting, and machining of plutonium. Various materials have been handled at the facility, including plutonium, uranium, americium, tantalum, beryllium, chloride salts, and various acids and solvents. Significant amounts of plutonium residues remain in inaccessible equipment in the facilities, which create criticality safety issues. Some of the plutonium has been at RFETS for many years, and there is significant in-growth of americium, a decay product that emits gamma radiation, which potentially increases exposure to the workers. The size reduction portion of the D&amp;D will be difficult and costly. The gloveboxes and tanks are constructed of stainless steel, frequently with lead shielding or double walls that hold water for neutron shielding. Window mountings, glove port rings, site gages, bolted flanges, and various penetrations reinforce the walls. Tanks may be filled with berated glass rings for criticality control, or double walled to hold the process fluid in the space between walls. The gloveboxes and tanks are generally tall enough to require workers to stand on scaffolding or platforms to perform D&amp;D. Gloveboxes and tanks were individually constructed over a span of many years with evolving design specifications; therefore, most gloveboxes are unique and few tank designs are duplicated in more than pairs. This paper describes the cultural transition and technical approaches taken for D&amp;D at RFETS to achieve 2006 closure. Specific emphasis is placed on critical issues such as, workforce ...

Description:
The prime contractor for the Rocky Flats Closure Project (RFCP), Kaiser-Hill, in concert with the Department of Energy--Rocky Flats Field Office (DOE-RFFO) has applied a fully integrated, life-cycle, critical path schedule and work planning system to manage the work that is required to close the Site. The closure of the Site is complex, in that it houses over 700 facilities, 19,600 kilograms of Special Nuclear Material (Plutonium and Uranium), and over 160,000 cubic meters of Transuranic, Low Level, and Hazardous Waste. The deactivation, decommissioning, decontaminating, and demolition of this large number of facilities, while at the same time accommodating difficult on-going activities, significantly increases the sophistication required in the planning process. The Rocky Flats team has overcome these difficulties by establishing a money oriented critical path process, to provide a least-cost avenue to supporting on-going activities and a line-of-balance process for production oriented activities. These processes, when integrated with a typical activity-based project planning system, guide the way to the shortest and most cost-effective course for the closure of the Rocky Flats Site.

Description:
The Safe Sites of Colorado Radiological Safety program has implemented a Safety Coach position, responsible for mentoring workers and line management by providing effective on-the-job radiological skills training and explanation of the rational for radiological safety requirements. This position is significantly different from a traditional classroom instructor or a facility health physicist, and provides workers with a level of radiological safety guidance not routinely provided by typical training programs. Implementation of this position presents a challenge in providing effective instruction, requiring rapport with the radiological worker not typically developed in the routine radiological training environment. The value of this unique training is discussed in perspective with cost-savings through better radiological control. Measures of success were developed to quantify program performance and providing a realistic picture of the benefits of providing one-on-one or small group training. This paper provides a description of the unique features of the program, measures of success for the program, a formula for implementing this program at other facilities, and a strong argument for the success (or failure) of the program in a time of increased radiological safety emphasis and reduced radiological safety budgets.

Description:
The year 2000 is rapidly approaching, and there is a good chance that computer systems that utilize two digit year dates will experience problems in retrieval of date information. The ISA Thermoluminescent Dosimetry Data Processing (TL-DP) software and computer system has been reviewed for Year 2000 compliance issues.

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